Offutt RC-135 Visible until takeoff in P3D

[Foxbat]

I can confirm the KC-135 from the Mildenhall package is invisible on runway with P3Dv3, so I'm currently using the KC-46 instead.

[MIKE JG]

Guys do a test for me, load them up at night and see if there are any taxi light effects or landing light effects showing. Just curious what P3D is doing at night.

[gsnde]

Will do, Mike

[Foxbat]

Just did, kinda funny, used the KC-135R: Daytime it gets invisible passing the Hold Short before entering runway. At night, at parking, lightsplash both sides fuselage but no lights illuminating ground, invisible when leaving the parking.

[MIKE JG]

The lightsplash on the fuselage at night is from the night texture alpha layer. That can probably be fixed by just removing the night texture file.

[gsnde]

Alright, here we go:

RC-135 new model:
okay at day time
still vanishes at night time

A400M new model:
okay at day time
with night texture removed okay at night time
(there are two different night textures around, one with the light splash, one that makes the whole aircraft look ghostly white)

Confirmed again that both original models make the cloaking trick no matter if day or night.

Also confirmed that the night texture is not relevant for the cloaking trick... just to be accurate.

[Firebird]

Thanks for the feedback, Martin.
It goes to show that converting for P3D is not that straight forward.

One last thing. Could I ask you to try converting a texture to dds and testing. I somehow doubt that this will fix your issues but we have to rule that out.

[gsnde]

Will do tonight, Steve

[Mark_Fox]

Was the RC-135 model for P3D ever released?

[Firebird]

The short answer is no as we couldn't find a way to get it to work.

We tried to use MCX to do a conversion but to say that it was unsuccessful would be very accurate. Either we are missing something or most likely it is simply not do-able to convert to P3D from the FS9 mdl due to the differences in the make up of compiled mdls.

The other difficulty we have is that the source is from FSDS and that does not support P3D. So therefore it could be a long and time consuming process for the modeller to convert it.

Now there seems to be a large amount of success of people converting FS9 models to FSX in the Alpha India forum and if one of them has the time to talk me through the conversion process then it is possible that an FSX version could be done that will work in P3D.

That is the complete state of play.

[Mark_Fox]

Thank you for your reply Steve.

[Christopher Low]

What about the Airbus A400M? Was a P3D updated version of that model ever released?

[Firebird]

In short no.
I am engaged in a project using the knowledge of people that have successfully converted mdls to FSX. Due to the fact that the A400M and the C-135 family were the culprits that raised this whole issue they are the ones that I am targeting to be done first.

So there is good news and progress of sorts, however it is early days and I am still in the intel gathering stage rather than a release.

Rest assured, though, I am not doing this for the purpose of forgetting that I ever did it. When ready they will be released.
Life is a very steep learning curve and I am currently behind the drag curve on the knowledge front.

[petebramley]

I wonder if the Buff will get the FSX treatment at all. I know it was a collaboration between Jake Burrus and Mike Pearson, but Mike seems to have dropped out of Mil AI. Am very seriously considering moving to P3D V4 and with the strides being taken over at AIG with the conversion of many FS9 models to FSX compatability, the time is coming closer.

[Firebird]

Well lets get one done first shall we

In all honesty the biggest problem appears, at least initially, to be the animations and the parts that are visible in only some circumstances. If we can get that cracked we have a fighting change.

[petebramley]

Thanks for the reply Steve. I was not asking when they would be done but more if it was technically possible. There are a whole host of models out there that we would all love to see flying in P3D V4 and having seen the progress made by the guys over at AIG it gives me great hope for the future. P3D V4 looks great but I would hate to fly without seeing some of the great models MAIW has released over the years. As it looks as if many will be converted eventually I can start saving up my pennies for a new Video card and a massive SSD HD.

Regards

[Firebird]

Yep, I understood that Pete.
The answer is more directed to the fact that it is possible to convert mdls to FSX that doesn't mean of course that all can be. Each one will have its own challenges and the chances are that we will need the makemdl.parts.xml file for each one to convert.

For example one thing that I have found could be a sticking point is tick18 animations. Most models use them, i.e. pilots that move their heads being one. Reliable sources tell me that FSX doesn't support tick18, so it is one of the factors that has to be overcome.

My gut feeling is that once we have completed the first two, mentioned above, then I will try to convert the older ones first as these are likely to have less anims and therefore less issues.

[Greg]

In a way, we're the victim of our own success with xml coding.

We managed to put a lot of cool never-seen-before animations in our models: RBF-tags, booms and other stuff that appears under conditions, pilots, opening doors and canopies, rotating dishes, you name it. It's something that most of the civvie models are lacking but now makes them easier to convert...

[Firebird]

Greg,
You are correct. The civvies do have their issues as well but we are definitely going to be pushing the envelope further to achieve what we want.

[MIKE JG]

As of yet there is no "Software Developers Kit" for P3D correct??

Without a document or something similar to that, it is all but useless to try to create models for that sim.